Metabolomics Approach for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: An Identification of Possible Biomarkers and Potential Targets for New Treatments – Beyond the Abstract

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in the elderly and greatly influence the quality of life of patients. However, in patients refractory ordinary treatments, new treatments are necessary to be developed by clarifying the pathogenesis and identifying biomarkers for LUTS. Metabolomics analysis, a new technology to detect comprehensive profiling of small molecules, can provide new insights into the biochemical functions in humans, and it has been widely used for the development of biomarkers and systematic investigations of metabolic processes in various pathophysiological states.

Our study investigated the association between these metabolites and male LUTS to identify metabolites using metabolomics approaches. In our study, it was revealed that pathways associated with the metabolism of amino acids could be involved in male LUTS. In fact, our data demonstrated that an increase in glutamate and decreases in arginine, asparagine, citrulline, and glutamine in plasma were associated with LUTS in males. From our data, we hypothesized the mechanism of amino acid metabolism in LUTS. Although the detailed mechanisms are unknown, changes in amino acid profiles, due to modifications in their metabolic pathways, could be caused by their enhanced metabolism in accelerated gluconeogenesis in LUTS like metabolic syndrome. Further, synthesis of nitric oxide also may be affected by changes in amino acid profiles in male LUTS.

Therefore, male LUTS may occur due to abnormal metabolisms in some pathways. Our study is the first study to show the association between amino acid profiles in plasma and LUTS. These approaches could contribute to the detection of new biomarkers. Identifying modifications in amino acid profiles may help in the development of targets for new LUTS treatment.

Written by: Takahiko Mitsui, MD, Department of Urology and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan

Read the Abstract